Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “chew” come from?

Chew comes from Middle English chewen, from Old English ċēowan, from Proto-Germanic kewwaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵyewh₁-.

chew (English): To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and...

Definitions

  1. To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and...

Ancestry of “chew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishchewenTo chew; to mash food with one's teeth; To...
2Old Englishċēowan—
3Proto-West Germanickeuwanto chew
4Proto-Germanickewwanąto chew
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵyewh₁-to chew

Words derived from “chew”

  • chewy
  • chewable
  • chewer
  • chewiness
  • cheweth
  • midchew
  • unchewable
  • chewstick
  • rechew
  • chewie
  • prechew
  • chuet
  • nonchewer
  • chewproof
  • overchew
  • tschaae
  • chu
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵyewh₁- →